BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 23: NBA basketball player Mark Jackson attends Kinect for Xbox 360 Launch Party held at a private residence on October 23, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Getty Images for Xbox)

Photo: Jordan Strauss, Getty Images For Xbox

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 23: NBA basketball player Mark Jackson...

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San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer coaches for ejected head coach Gregg Popovich in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, March 27, 2011, in Memphis, Tenn. The Grizzlies defeated the Spurs 111-104. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)

The Warriors continue to say they're in no rush to hire a coach, but by outside accounts, the team's search has heated up significantly in the past week.

Joe Lacob has reportedly interviewed TV analyst Mark Jackson and San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, and league sources say the co-owner is expected to meet with New Orleans assistant Mike Malone next week. Sources involved with the hiring process were told that only three finalists would garner interviews from Lacob, but that's tough to believe since he has yet to sit down with others who are considered to be strong candidates.

"We are being deliberate with our search and will have no deadline for hiring a new coach," Warriors general manager Larry Riley said in an e-mail Thursday.

If Casey becomes a finalist, the Warriors will have to wait until the conclusion of the NBA Finals - as early as June 9 or as late as June 14 - for the Lacob interview. The Warriors have said that hiring a coach before the June 23 draft is not a priority, but sources said they might be prompted to act quicker because of other openings around the league.

Malone is considering joining Brown as an assistant in Los Angeles, Toronto is said to be interested in Casey and Frank, and jobs could open in Detroit and Minnesota.

Malone was the lead assistant for Monty Williams this season. From 2005 to 2010, he worked under Brown in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers went 272-138 - the third-best mark in the league during that time frame. The Cavs were also the lone team to advance to at least the conference semifinals each season during that span.

Jackson, a 17-year NBA player and current analyst for ESPN and ABC, was the first candidate to meet with Lacob. Jackson is No. 3 on the all-time assists list, but he has no head coaching experience - one of the qualities Lacob has said he prefers in a hire.

Budenholzer, who has been on Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio for 15 seasons, previously said he wasn't interested in leaving. This week, however, San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford confirmed a Contra Costa Times report that the Warriors had called for permission to talk to Budenholzer.

Among the other potential finalists, Adelman may have taken himself out of the running. He told the Portland media that he didn't know if he wants "to do the coaching thing again," when asked about his interest in the Trail Blazers' general manager job.

Frank, Person and Shaw are all available to talk, but sources were not aware of any of them meeting with Lacob. Casey went 53-69 as Minnesota's coach from 2005 to 2007, getting fired midway through the 2006-07 season. One of the hottest names among all coaching vacancies, Casey told reporters that he enjoyed his initial meeting with the Warriors but is completely focused on the championship series.

The Warriors announced in late April that they weren't picking up the option on Keith Smart's contract for 2011-12. In his only season as the coach after replacing the retired Don Nelson, he went 36-46, marking a 10-win improvement from the previous season.